By Chloe Smith
Winter is a festive month for many, partly because of the upcoming holidays and partly due to the snow. Although winter has its charms, it certainly can be harsh to the skin and requires that you take some precautions. Low temperatures and cold wind can dry your skin, make your lips crack and create frostbites. These are all signs that your skin is damaged by the winter weather and that you should be more responsible to prevent this in the future. But before you start buying everything that comes to mind, have a look at this list and save yourself money and trouble when choosing the appropriate skin products.
1. Choose the right cream
Creams should be used all year long, but during winter months you have to adjust their effect with your problems. This means that in order to protect your skin from breaking and going dry you will have to use rich textures and regularly if possible more than twice a day. This means that you will still use cream appropriate for your skin type, only specifically designed to care for the skin exposed to harsh atmospheric conditions. Another important thing is to clean your face with milder products like micellar water to prevent further drying out of the skin.
2. Use sunscreen
Even during winter, the sun is dangerous and can cause damage. If you go skiing in the mountains, use SPF 30+ every time you go outside. However, in the city, you can use lower SPF. The reason is that sun’s UV rays reflect off the snow and directly affect you, which means that you can get sunburns even during winter. Besides having red nose or marks from the sunglasses, you are still at risk of developing skin cancer.
3. Take care of your hands
Hands are on the first lines every season. Since they’re often in water and constantly touching things, it’s hard to keep them hydrated. Just like the face cream, the hand products should be richer and with glycerine and oils to keep them moisturized and nourished. The best practice is to carry with you a hand cream at all times and avoid products which will additionally dry out your hands. A regular appointment with the manicurist can help you keep them looking great, but when it comes to deep care – it’s your sole responsibility. Aggressive soaps and detergents can be damaging, so replace them with more skin friendly alternatives and wear gloves when using any type of chemicals or while doing house choirs.
4. Apply appropriate makeup
Even makeup has to be right during the winter. First of all, use foundations which are moisturizing and with SPF, but before applying it, clean your face and rub in the cream. Always choose the waterproof mascara or silk and mink lashes to avoid tearing of the eyes during the cold wind and smudging your makeup. Lips are very sensitive to weather changes and just like in summer, they need lip balm during the winter too, if not even more. You can use a colored one or neutral underneath the lipstick, to keep them hydrated at all times.
5. Cover yourself
In the end, the most effective way is to prevent all the above as much as you can with hats, scarves, and gloves. Scarf, for instance, will cover your face, neck, and nose and protect them from the cold. Big scarves were very trendy last year and it appears it will be the same this winter. Gloves are not that popular since they make it harder to use smartphones. Also, some people can’t do things with them on, but today there are all sorts of materials and models created to accommodate everyone’s preferences. Synthetics are welcomed in this case since they will keep you warmer and better protected from the winds.
All in all
Your skin is the first to feel the relentless cold and frost of the winter weather. You may believe that some routines you used during the warmer months like exfoliation or sun protection are not needed anymore, but the abundance of red noses during the winter states otherwise. After all, the sun always shines, even when we don’t see it, and don’t forget, that your emotions can affect your skin as well!
Author Bio: Chloe Smith is a cycling enthusiast, business consultant, and a part-time writer always willing to share tidbits of advice. She believes that passion, courage and, above all, knowledge breed success.
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